12 Chapter 11

"Ace just be honest with me. I need you to be honest with me. What are you not telling me?" I asked him with a serious determination of knowing exactly what he knows that I don't. I get so irritated by the way he just acts like nothing strange is happening and after he acts odd, he just pretends like he did nothing. What the hell, right? I'm confused, you're confused, everybody's confused so why does he keep on being weird.

He didn't look at me but smiled cheekily while shrugging. "I don't know what you're talking about but if I do I wouldn't say it because there might be a reason why I'm acting like the way you think." He told me while glancing at me and looking back at the dark empty streets. We're still sitting on the stairs, just hanging out and talking.

"What the fuck? You're still just going to pretend that you did nothing?" I forced him to look at me and cupped his cheeks while squishing them, looking straight into his hazel eyes with my serious gaze. His eyes widened for a second but then laughed.

"Yes because I didn't do anything. Stop getting mad, you're going to worsen your condition." He takes my hands off his cheeks while shaking his head at me.

"You're the one who should stop! You're making me mad!" I shouted at him. I pouted and stared at the dark alley just across the street. My head is not pounding like hell anymore but it still hurts every time I move.

"There's nothing to be mad about! Just shh. Remember when I told you that I'll explain everything later but not now when everything's...dangerous." He whispered the last part while his finger accidentally rubbed on the back of my hand. My cheeks flushed and I quickly took off my hand in between his while he muttered. "Sorry."

"Why is everything dangerous? Why can't you just tell? This ain't some movie where the protagonist will be stupid until the end of the movie! This is real life! I need to know everything that I need to know if I want for all of this to just stop." I argued back because I really need to know what's happening or what does he knows because I'm tired of being a clueless shit.

"Exactly! But we just need the right time because If I tell you now then your life will be much more in danger than it already is! Just be patient and watch out for the signs and shut the hell up or else you'll get us killed." He hissed in anger while looking at me with a glare which made me close my mouth and just nodded but looked away from his intense gaze and stared at the streets that are barely being lit up by the lights.

"But you're wrong." I started again after I remembered what he texted me earlier.

"I'm wrong with what?" He asked, confused if I'm still talking about his strangeness.

I chuckled and look at him with a soft smile. "You're right about everything you said about me except the sweating cold in my forehead and neck. I don't do that or at least not anymore."

He laughed and smirked, showing his dimples on his cheeks. "Really? I remember you being so drenched in your own sweat that I always make fun of you."

I looked up in the sky, trying to remember when he made fun of me because of that stupid reason. Then I chuckled when I remembered, he used to point his finger at me and lead all of our classmates to make fun of me for being too sweaty. I remember them saying hurtful words so I glared at him and punched him on his face before I ran out of the room and finished my lunch on the stairs. How ironic that we're also sitting on the stairs today. I was worried and nervous about having to recite a long poem in front of the whole class so that's why I was too sweaty. Ace followed me after and sat next to me while apologizing by giving me the chocolate that his mom gave him.

"You remember now?" He asked and I nodded, snapping back into the present. "Even back then you're strong and not scared to hurt others because of protection and because you knew what's right and wrong. I always admired you for that." He explained while smirking and nudging me with his elbow, teasing me again with his idiotic looking face.

I ignored him and just laughed. "You? Admiring me? Is this some kind of nightmare?" I teased him back while rolling my eyes playfully.

"Hey! I even gave you my favorite chocolate! You ate it all without giving me any! And it was my last bar!" He pouted like a kid and I just rolled my eyes at him.

"Yeah, yeah, Serves you right for making fun of me." I looked away from him and just looked in front of us.

"Yeah, It served me right but still don't you remember how we used to stick to each other like glue? I always save you if you need any saving while you do the same to me--"

"Shh. Look at that!" I shushed him completely when I saw someone ran into the alley then echoes of glass falling from a high place can be heard as it touched the ground and breaks. Ace glanced at me with furrowed brows and I stood up.

"Where you going? Just stay here!" He told me, stopping me from going down the stairs, also standing up and fixing his clothes that got a little wrinkled.

"I need to see what happened, it might be someone I know." I told him and by someone I know, I meant the porcelain girl because it must be her. She's always near wherever I am. As creepy as that sounds she always follows me and I know it.

I walked down the stairs in a hurry, not minding my head and I ran towards the alley. Ace cursed and followed me, running next to me. "Don't just wander alone in the alley for your fucking sake! It might be dangerous!"

"I'm sorry!" I just apologized and took out my phone to light up the alley and I looked around but saw no one. I noticed something shiny and I quickly ran over there. I looked at the floor and saw the girl's mask broken while there's a lot of blood on it and fingerprints as if she was really taking it off but struggling.

"What the hell...?" Ace looked down while I squatted down and looked at it with furrowed brows, wondering what happened to her.

The half is completely shattered while the other half is the one that's filled with blood but did not dare to touch it. I looked around again but no one was really there other than Ace and I and the broken glass mask. I examined the mask again and sighed heavily while I buried my face into my hands, feeling so done and confused with everything. When I took off my hands, I looked back at the completely shattered other half and saw a little piece of paper. I hesitated but got it even if Ace is warning me.

"Just stop, What are you doing?" He asked, annoyed by my actions but I just shushed him.

"I know what I'm doing," I snapped at him and took the paper while I stood back up. My eyes scan the words and frowned.

"What does it say?" Ace asked.

"DIE." I told him and my frown got bigger while he looked at me weirdly.

"That's it? Die? Maybe it's just a prank." He assured but I shook my head.

"It stenches of blood and the girl loves the mask! What kind of prank is this, huh? What if she dies? Or her life is in danger? She has lost a lot of blood! I'm surprised she got away." I told him both in anger and worried.

Ace sighed and nodded. "I'm sorry. Maybe something did happen to her but let's get out here. It's not safe, just keep smiling and everything will be okay." He smiled again, weirdly, and acted like nothing happened while grabbing my wrist and pulling me away. "It's time to go home, you've seen too many."

My whole body shivered from the goosebumps that rose in my skin and bones after hearing him say that I just have to keep smiling and everything will be okay. Who does that?! I wanted to scream at him and punch him but I know nothing will happen even if I do that so I just kept quiet and gripped the piece of paper tightly until my knuckles turn white. I copied him when we got into the streets where people are present and smiling, giving us side glances. Their eyes filled with suspicion but when they saw us smiling widely they just nodded and ignored us, continued walking and doing whatever they're doing.